Students returned to the grand hall in steady streams, guided by staff members stationed throughout the corridors.
Some walked with smiles they could no longer hide.
Others kept their heads lowered, faces pale and uncertain.
A few wore blank expressions, masking their fear beneath practiced calm.
The top contenders looked much the same as always—composed, confident, seemingly untouched by doubt.
Time passed.
Gradually, all two hundred students gathered inside the hall once more.
Silence settled heavily over the room.
Then
A sharp, familiar voice cut through it.
"You all did well."
Vega stood at the front of the hall, her expression unreadable.
"But only one hundred of you will remain."
Her words struck harder than any shout.
"The remaining one hundred will return to where they came from."
Hands clenched.
Heads bowed.
Some students closed their eyes tightly, lips moving in silent prayers.
They had come too far.
So close to the finish line.
Failing here would hurt more than anything that came before.
Vega allowed the tension to linger.
Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device.
Click.
The massive screen behind her flickered to life.
Every pair of eyes turned toward it.
Sweat gathered on brows.
Hearts began to pound.
A timer appeared.
There was no explanation.
1.
A pause.
2.
The numbers changed again.
1.
2.
Confusion spread through the hall.
No one understood what they were waiting for.
3.
Beep.
The screen changed.
Names flooded across it.
For one brief moment, there was nothing but frantic silence.
Hundreds of eyes raced across the screen, desperately searching.
Then
Shouts erupted.
Laughter.
Cheers.
Cries of relief.
Students who found their names jumped in celebration, some raising their fists while others simply stood frozen, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Aric found his name.
A confident smile appeared.
"As expected."
Leva straightened when she found hers, her posture firm and her eyes flashing with quiet satisfaction.
Mira found her name moments later.
A bright smile crossed her face as relief washed over her.
Rey raised his fist triumphantly.
"They couldn't miss greatness!"
Moriko shot him an irritated glance.
She said nothing.
But the faint smile on her face revealed her relief.
They had both made it.
Yet where there was joy—
There was devastation.
Some students collapsed to their knees, the strength leaving their bodies.
Others clenched their fists so tightly that their nails dug into their palms.
Years of training.
Endless tutoring.
Relentless pressure.
All of it—
Gone.
The thought of disappointed families and shattered expectations pressed down like a weight on their chests.
But there was nothing left to do.
They had lost.
Then
A murmur spread through the hall.
Students staring at the screen began noticing something strange.
Two names.
Two names that shouldn't have been there.
They weren't heirs.
They weren't elites.
They weren't prodigies backed by powerful families.
They were commoners.
Jay.
Reha.
Shock rippled through the hall.
Aurelian High had existed for fifty-seven years.
In all that time, not a single commoner had entered the top hundred.
And now—
There were two.
"That's impossible…"
"A commoner?"
"How did they get in?"
"This has to be a mistake!"
"They must have cheated!"
"Check the results again!"
The whispers quickly became accusations.
Jay listened without reaction.
His expression remained calm, his eyes resting on the screen as though the surrounding noise didn't exist.
Reha, however, shifted uncomfortably.
She had never expected to make it this far.
She was intelligent, and hardship had sharpened her physical abilities.
But what truly changed everything was the final trial.
A two-hundred-meter race.
It had been her strength.
She had crossed the finish line only moments before her opponent.
That had been enough.
Yet the accusations made her chest tighten.
For the first time since entering Aurelian's examination—
she wondered whether she truly belonged here.
Vega observed the chaos silently.
Then
"Silence."
She didn't shout.
She didn't raise her voice.
Yet the entire hall fell quiet.
Her gaze swept across the students.
"I have no intention of wasting my time on those who do not belong at Aurelian."
Her eyes settled on the students whose names hadn't appeared.
"Leave."
One word.
That was all.
Staff members immediately appeared, guiding the rejected students toward the exits.
Some left with their heads lowered.
Others stared at the floor in silence.
A few continued looking toward the screen until they disappeared through the doors.
As one of the staff members approached Armin, he suddenly stopped.
His eyes shifted toward Jay.
"Wait."
The staff member turned.
Armin stepped forward.
He walked toward Jay and stopped in front of him.
"Hello."
Jay studied him for a brief moment.
"Hi."
Armin extended his hand.
"Congratulations on making it into the top hundred."
Jay hesitated for only a fraction of a second before clasping his hand.
"Thank you."
Armin smiled faintly.
"When we meet again outside, don't forget to say hello."
Jay gave a small nod.
"I won't."
Armin turned and walked away.
After a few steps, he glanced down at the hand that had just shaken Jay's.
His expression became thoughtful.
'He's strong.'
Not just physically.
There was something else about him.
Something Armin couldn't quite understand yet.
One by one, the remaining students disappeared from the hall.
The massive gates slowly began to close.
Clang.
The sound echoed through the entrance hall.
The entrance examination of Aurelian High School—
was officially over.
And for the chosen hundred
a new chapter had begun.